The prevalence of barley surprised the team of researchers as to date the earliest known evidence for barley seeds in China dates back to 4,000 years ago.

The beer, however, looks more like a staple food than a drink, resembling porridge and tasting sweet and fruity in comparison to the average contemporary tipple.

The beer was created as part of Professor Li Liu’s, Archaeology of Food: Production, Consumption and Ritual course and was made using ancient brewing techniques. The recipe was discovered by Liu and her team last spring.

Speaking to Stanford News, Liu said: “Our results suggest the purpose of barley’s introduction in China could have been related to making alcohol rather than as a staple food.”